Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-10-21
TIE REPUBLICANS AND FIR-
GINA.

GINA.
Ii there was nothing else for which the
Democratic party deserves, and has al
ways deserved, the gratitude OF the Ma
ton, it is entitled to it for its courage and
persistence in defending the people against
usurpation under the color Of centrallZa-
tion. On that issue it has with splendlo
courage and audacity. fought when it was
a mere corporal's guard. and held In al
most state of subjugatioD by central
lied, Republicanised Federal Government,
and on that issue to-day In its day OF Ma
tionaI victory and National power. the
Democratic party is as determined and as
memorable as fate. The struggle is now
making with conscientious, but usurplng
Federal Judge is part of the war it has
been waging on behalf of the people for
generations. At the sight of usurplng
decision by petty Federal Judge Repub-
lican orator or journal turns tail and runs
without uttering a protest. On the con-
trary. in their fright they turn against
their own people. The Hon. John s.
| Wise though holding and saying that Judge
Bonds decision is not according to losr, yet
| turns on his own people and character
| ICES their Indignant protest against it as
"whining." And cur Republican cotem-
porary, the Valleu Viryiaaian, thus treats
the subject:
| Notwithstanding the United States Court
! had enjoined all State officers from proceeding
| against the taxpayer by suit or levy, Attor-
ney General Ayers was quick to throw defiance
| in the face of the court and openly courted
any penalty that might be attached to such
| defiance of the ruling of the court. Several
/, State Attorneys followed HIM in his course in
seeking to bring contempt upon the Federal
court and spit upon its authority. The result
| of all this weakness and stupidity is seen In
the decision and order of the court, to be
found IN another column.
I weakness and stupidity ~ That is
one Of the "Virginian's" horseback
| legal opinions. Let us look at the matured
| opinions of higher legal authority. There
are nine Justices of the U. S. Supreme
| Court. Four of them, Chief Justice Waite
| among them. have given from the bench
| the opinion that the present action of
| Judge Bond in coercing State officers is
coercing State against the 18th Amend
| ment to the Constitution, and therefore
without force in law. The opinion was
| given in Virginia case in which Judge
Bond was acting. and the case went
against Virginia because one Justice
| Stanley Mathews-WenG the other way,
making five supporting Judge Bonds
| view. The dissenting opinion was read
| by Justice Bradley and is strong in its ex-
pressions. 1t says:
These suits are attempts to coerce a State
| by judicial proceedings. They are that, and
nothing else. 1t is useless to attempt to de-
ceive ourselves by an adroit use of words or
by q train of metaphysical reasoning. We
! cannot in that way change the nature of
| things. This is the first time, we believe,
since the eleventh amendment was adopted in
which State has been coerced by judicial
proceedings at the suit of individuals in the
Federal Courts. That this is such a case
seems one of the, plainest propositions that
can be stated.
And yet in the face of that dissenting
| opinion by four distinguished Justices Of
| the highest tribunal of the land, John S.
Wise characterizas the protest of Virginia
/ as "whiniDg," and the VALLEY Virgil
MAN" speaks Of the action Of the State
! officers as "Weakness and stupidity ~
| The worst sort of weakness and stupidity
and timidlty as well, is that which IS
ready to hand the rights of the people
over to every petty usurper that comes,
without a struggle, Or even a protest.
| This much member Of the Democratic
! party can always say with honest pride
it has the courage of its convictions; and
I neither in defeat nor victory has ever sur
rendered by one jot or little the rights of
the American people. 1t is party of
full grown men. and it has the courage of
men.
A Lawyer takes the stand and appoints
Doctor, Chairman. An Editor appoint
ed Secretary. An Editor and another
Lawyer make nominating speeches. A
Lawyer makes speech and says the Far
mers and Mechanics are not recognized.
a Farmer gets up with a resolution about
fencing railroads. He is s'recognlzed'' at
once and made to sit down with his reso-
luton in his pocket-tbe Presiding Doc-
| tor, On the suggestion OF the Editor,
having ruled him out Of order. The fol-
| lowing preamble and resolutions rumble
| through the Courthouse:
| Whereas, The Republican party is in mi
nority in the County of Augusta and it is i'm
| possible to elect a representative of that
party to represent her in the legislature; and
whereas the Farmer and Mechanic class has
not heretofore been recognized as useful ma
terial in political party; and whereas, as in
| the eyes of the Republican Doctors and Law
| yers the true use of Farmer and Mechanic
is to run HIM for a position that cannot
be gotten, therefore be it
Resoz0ed, That BENZ. J. Craig, Farmer, and
W. Bailey Dunlap, Mechanic, are hereby no.
minated TO run for the legislature for Augusta
county, and to keep On running as long as
they choose.
2 ReSoB0ed That in view of the fact that the
classes they represent have long been unre-
presented, Messrs. Craig and Dunlap are here
| by given the privilege of conducting their own
canvass and paying their own expenses.
3 Res0l0ed, That when Messrs. Craig and
| Dunlap get to the House of Delegates they
will know it, and this privilege of knowing it
is hereby freely granted to them by the Doc
tors and Lawyers of the Grand Old Republican
| Party of Augusta.
Reso1oed, That the Republican party of
. Augusta. in convention assembled, hereby